


Shadows

by Ready_for



Category: Sweep - Cate Tiernan, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - No Werewolves, Bisexual Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Canon-Typical Violence, Derek Hale is Hunter Niall, F/M, First Time, Gay Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Magic, Magical Stiles Stilinski, My First Fanfic, Not tagging everything so there are plot twists, Queer Characters, Swearing, Wicca
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:13:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25155259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ready_for/pseuds/Ready_for
Summary: When Cal Blaire walks into 16-year-old Stiles Stilinski's life he changes everything.Stiles' world explodes with magic, love and betrayal.He has to navigate his new world, discovering how to control his power while protecting himself from people who want to harm him.He will learn that trusting the wrong people will end in a broken heart, but letting the right person in might just let you find the other half of your soul.
Relationships: Cal Blaire/Others, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Stiles Stilinski/Cal Blaire
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing recognizable. No copyright infringement intended. Just playing around in the fandoms.  
> This is my first fanfic!  
> I think I know where this is going. I will update tags as I write, but please let me know if things are missing. Going to try to write this in storyline arcs that match the books. This is a super smooshed AU with the fandoms. Hope you enjoy!

Part one: A discovery of witches

Start of junior year and I stand in the parking lot next to my trusty jeep and tug nervously at the sleeves of my flannel. A habit I had been trying hard to break myself of as it just emphasizes my inability to stay still or to control my usually flailing limbs. Something that had only added to my school career as ‘the weird kid’.

“Stiles, dude"

I turn my head towards my best friend, Scott, as he greets me with a fist bump and a lop-sided smile. He looks effortlessly cool in ripped jeans, band t-shirt and leather jacket.

“Scotty. Looking good. You’re here early?’ I inquire with a raised eyebrow since it was an unusual occurrence, the smile I give him reflects both my happiness at seeing him, and my building excitement for the coming year.

“Yeah, some of the lacrosse dudes want to do two-a day work outs for the coming seasoning so I came a bit early. What about you, bro? Must have taken a lot of caffeine to get you here this early." he jokes.

“Ah yeah, I just need to sort out some AP classes and independent study shit.”

So, I’m smart. Fuck off.

He laughs and quips ‘nerd’ with a wink.

A bang of a door steals our attention. Some of the lacrosse team and their clique come stumbling down the front steps and yell greetings to Scott.

I stop myself from pulling on my fucking sleeves again.

I have never envied that Scott had suddenly become popular in sophomore year. On a whim he had joined the lacrosse team and finally started to interact with other people at school, that led to people seeing how fucking nice he was. The 35 pounds of muscle he gained mixed with his ‘tall, dark and handsome’ latino looks had certainly helped too. The boys and girls of Beacon Valley High were clamoring to ride the Scott McCall train. (The summer between freshman and sophomore year I told Scott I was fairly sure I was gay. He told me he thought he was Bi. I called it the summer of queer. Scott had punched me in the arm.)

So yeah, I’ve never envied him that, except… there are times where I start to hate just how fucking…. average I feel in comparison. At 16 years old I am 5’7 lanky limbed, uncoordinated and 147 pounds of pale skin and sarcasm. Being part of the swim team has helped me tone and define, but the water tends to be the only place I have any kind of confidence about how to move my body.

“I swear to god Jackson put eyeliner on after the workout." Scott mutters to me as we watch some of the group make their way towards us. I can’t stop the snort that escapes at that and Scott grins at me.

Isaac Lahey shoulder bumps Scott as the group reaches us. Matt Adler, Jenna Ruiz, Jackson Whittemore, Lydia Martin, Allison Argent and Vernon (‘don’t call me Vernon’) Boyd form a loose circle around us. Allison stands on her toes to give Scott a kiss on the cheek and I don’t miss the way Issacs eyes move away from them.

Allison and Scott have been on-again/off-again for 2 years now and sometimes its really fucking hard to tell which is which.

“Well I’m just gonna go sort that shit out and then meet Robbie" I say as I start backing away to extract myself.  
Scott throws me a look that’s part exasperation and part fondness. He’s told me multiple times that his friends like me just fine and I’m still not sure I believe it. I make a wry face at him and turn to leave.

Its like something out of a romance movie. Where time slows down, and the edges become fuzzy. Setting eyes on him for the first time as he exits his Mustang GT and looks up at the windows of BVH.

If only I knew at that moment what meeting him would mean.

I turn with wide eyes to look at Scott and he mouths “Who the fuck?" to me. I shrug and bring my hand up to my heart to try and stop it pounding out of my chest.

The guy makes his way over to the group at smiles brightly showing off perfect teeth. This guy is so fucking… perfect. I’ve seen hot guys before. I mean, our whole lacrosse team could be in GQ, but this boy… he takes my breath away. Choppy brown hair, olive skin and startingly blue eyes. He’s walked out of my wet dream and I am so fucked. At least, I wish.

I tune back in to realize he is speaking. Asking about the way to the vice-principal’s office. I stare at him stupidly with my mouth open. Hot guys make me stupid.

"Through the doors at the top of the stairs and to the left" Scott offers pointing the way and then looks at the paper the guy had handed to him. “You transferred as a senior?" he asks with raised brows.

“Yes” the boy says with a tip of his lips “My Mom just got moved here for her job. I’m Cal. Cal Blaire.”

Cal Blaire.

Fuck.

Cal looks around the group and asks, “Are you guys seniors?’

“No, we are all Juniors” Allison replies with a welcoming smile.

“Oh, too bad I won’t have classes with any of you.” Cal says.

“Actually, I am taking Senior Math classes and Stiles has all Senior and AP classes so you might” Lydia says with her usual confidence. “Hi, I’m Lydia Martin” She shakes Cal’s hand.

"Lovely to meet you” Cal says and a look of confusion passes over his face “What’s a Stiles?”

The group laughs and Scott moves to put his arm around my shoulder.

“oh yup, hi, yeah, he would be me. I mean I’m a Stiles. I mean, that’s me, hi.” fuck I am so flustered, and I can feel Scott shaking with suppressed laughter where he’s pressed beside me. So I elbow him in the ribs. I see Isaac roll his eyes.

“Well, I gotta go. See you at lunch Scotty?” I don’t give him time to reply as I make my escape.  
I’ve embarrassed myself enough and school hasn’t even started yet.

Fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

It was Friday. A week had passed since Cal Blaire had first entered my life and my heart still accelerated every time I saw him.

As I walk into chemistry he is chatting with one of our classmates about entertainment in Beacon Valley. He’s going to be sorely disappointed after moving from New York City to our quiet town.

Sitting at the worn lab tables I think he looks like a god amongst men in a tight polo and slacks.

“Yeah, we get our pumpkins there every year and they have rides and stuff. Its good” A flustered Alexa Marsh is telling Cal about the Harvest Festival we have in October as he beams at her with fixed attention.

In a week Cal had become the most popular guy at Beacon Valley High. Fliting between cliques with ease, never treating anyone with anything less than respect. He had this way of focusing on you so you feel like you are the only person in the world. It’s really fucking unnerving sometimes.

With anyone else I was able to hide my insecurity between sarcasm, rambling or well-timed jokes (Dad would argue none of my jokes are well-timed – but I am confident I am fucking hilarious). However, with Cal, my throat tightens and my words get jumbled together. Its not just that he is so fucking hot its… more like… well like his aura is so fucking overwhelming.

Great. He’s so good-looking I start talking about Aura’s.

“What about you Stiles? Do you go to this festival?” Cal turns his attention to me.

I try to act casual as I spin my pen between my fingers and nod

“Yeah, pretty much a highlight of the season. Not much to do around here. Gotta make your own fun.” a whole three sentences. Stiles for the win.

Cal turns to give his whole attention to me. Damn.

“What kind of fun do you make Stiles?”

Shit. Is he flirting? With me?

“umm you know. Gaming. Research. Hanging out with Scott and Robbie” Man, could I make myself sound any cooler.

“Robbie Gurevitch?” Cal questions.

“Yeah, We grew up together.” Mr. Harris walks in and slams a pile of books on the table effectively ending the conversation.

Thank fuck. Not sure how much longer I could keep up the conversation without making a fool of myself.

Two weeks later Scott, Robbie, Allison and I are standing around my kitchen as I throw together a veggie casserole.

“So, he is hot, nice and all inclusive” Allison comments as she sits on my counter-top snacking on carrot sticks.

“Can’t comment on the ‘hot’, but he definitely doesn’t discriminate. I think he’s gone out with about 7 people since he arrived. Watching the shit-fit Jackson threw when Lydia went for coffee with him was funny. Then of course the next day Jackson ends up disappearing with him for one-on-one lacrosse drills.” Robbie adds making a wry face.

Scott might be my brother-from-another-mother, but Robbie and I took baths together as kids. We had sort of drifted away from each other in junior high then reconnected with each other again in high school when Scott was distracted with Allison and becoming popular. He’s the kind of guy you know has your back and lots of people appreciate that about him. I am lucky to have him in my life.

He also likes to joke he’s ‘the token straight guy’ of our group.

“Oh, he definitely hot.” Allison, Scott and I say all at the say time. Then look at each other and burst into laughter just as my Dad walks in.

Noah Stilinski, Beacon Valley County Sheriff is 6’2 tall with sandy blonde hair and blue-eyes. Years of hard police work and the grief over losing my Mom have left their mark on my Dad and people often comment on how intimidating he is. To me he is just home and safety and love.

Hanging his keys and jacket on the kitchen hook Noah gives a tired smile “Do I even want to know what you kids are laughing about?” he questions.

I shake my head just as Scott answers

“The new kid Cal Blaire. Just discussing how he’s moving through the dating ranks of Beacon Valley High”

Dads eyes slide towards me and I find myself busy chopping some eggplant. We haven’t really had the ‘I’m gay’ conversation yet because we haven’t really had the ‘dating’ conversation yet. (I’m fabulous only in subtle ways). I am sure Dad knows, I’m just not really ready to talk about it.

Dad shakes his head and lightly claps Robbie on his shoulder “And how are you doing with everything kid?” he softly asks.

Its easy to forget with how outgoing Robbie is that 7 months ago he was diagnosed with Stargardt disease. A genetic disorder that causes progressive loss of vision. Robbie’s symptoms are coming on slow, its just the knowing that some point in the future, whether it is months or years, he will lose his sight.

Robbie gives Dad a small smile “yeah I’m doing. Mom is taking it all harder than I am.” He rolls his eyes.

Dad ruffles his hair “Well we are here for both of you kid. Anytime”.

With that he stretches and looks over to the rest of us “I am going to take a nap. Feel free to eat all of that monstrosity of a casserole and order me a pizza” he laughs.

I stick my tongue out at him. “You wish old man. Have a good nap”.

We don’t talk about Cal Blaire or school for the rest of the evening and instead play exploding kittens as viciously as we can without waking Dad. Who has a huge slice of casserole waiting for him when he wakes.

Next day at lunch Robbie and I are sitting under one of the shade trees when Lydia sits down next to us and hands me a piece of paper with…

“is there a reason you have handed me compendium of Norse runes” my tone is dry as I squint at Lydia.

Lydia and I have begrudging respect for each other as the two smartest people at BVH. Lydia’s decision to date Jackson Whittemore since junior year I have no respect for. The guy is an asshole.

“Well one – that you know they are Norse runes within seconds of seeing them, two – I know you speak German and Norwegian, three – I noticed them on a book Cal had in his car and I am nosy enough to want to know what they say”

“Speaking of nosy” Robbie wriggles his eyebrows “you wanna share with us what a coffee date with the new king of Beacon Valley High was like”

Lydia rolls her eyes “it wasn’t a date. He just wanted to know the area and get some information about town and people. I got the feeling he was pretty social in New York and was missing having friends around.”

“So… you’re not finally dumping Jackass?” I smirk.

Lydia hits me in the shoulder with the back of her hand

“Fuck off Stiles” she says, but there’s laughter in her tone.

“Oh, and he shall appear” Robbie says dragging Lydia and I from our squabble to see Cal walking towards us. Lydia takes the paper with the runes and slides it into her jeans pocket. I quirk an eyebrow. Interesting.

Cal crouches down next to us and I feel my face flush just like every time he is near.

“Hey, hope I’m not interrupting. Just wanted to invite you all to a party I am throwing this Saturday”

My heart stutters a bit. I am not really the kind of guy that gets invited to many parties except as ‘Scott McCall's friend’. Next to me I am aware of Lydia and Robbie agreeing to be there and making arrangements. I stay quiet, not knowing what to say.

“Stiles!”

Oh thank god. Scott is making his way towards us carrying his lacrosse gear.

He grins at Cal “Hey Cal. What’s up man?”

“Just been inviting a few people to a party this Saturday. You want to join us?” Cal returns Scotts grin with a perfect smile of his own.

“A party!” Scott replies enthusiastically “Where?! Who’s coming?! Will there be a keg?!”

Cal throws his head back and laughs at Scotts excitement. I feel like the air has been punched from my lungs as I watch the column of his throat and listen to his laughter. I have a fleeting moment of jealousy where I wish I had made him laugh like that.

“My Mom bought some land along with our house. I thought we could sit out under the stars. Drink a bit. Talk a bit” Call explains.

We all just stare at him for a moment. That wasn’t really a thing that happened in Beacon Valley. We hung out a peoples houses or the mall. Not someone’s field.

“Well…” Scott says slowly “not what we usually do around here. But sounds great bro” Scott looks at Cal with his lop-sided smile. I knew that smile. He used it with Allison when he first met her.

 _No_. I think. _He should be mine._

I jolt suddenly. Where did **that** thought come from.

Cal stands and stretches. Lydia, Scott and I all try to be subtle as we check him out. Robbie rolls his eyes.

“Well, I’ll txt out directions later this week. I hope I see you guys there” he winks at us before wandering over to another group of people gathered on the lawn.

I try to ignore the tight feeling in my chest as I watch him walk away.


	3. Chapter 3

_I am still searching. Casting the net. I feel power, but I have not yet been able to locate the source. Something is blocking me. I pray for my success. We need to increase our numbers and then we can find the one for whom I search so desperately. –_ from the grimoire of Cal Blaire.

The moonlight spills onto our driveway as Scott and I make our way to Roscoe – my jeep. There’s a cool autumn breeze and leaves float to the ground and crunch under our feet. The night is beautiful.

“So, what’s wrong with the bike again?” I ask Scott.

“I don’t know. Its just making a weird grinding noise.” Scott says.

I roll my eyes at him, coz honestly, when is Scott’s bike _not_ making a weird grinding noise. He gives me the finger in return.

We slide into my jeep and I do a little cheer when the engine starts on the first turn.

Dad exits the house dressed in his uniform and starts walking to his cruiser. Another night shift.

“Drive carefully.” He calls. “And I don’t want to hear about any ‘disturbances’ from your location.” He adds with a lifted brow.

Scott and I laugh.

“Sure thing Sheriff.” Scott says out the window.

I give Dad a cheeky grin and a casual salute through the windshield as we depart.

“So, you didn’t want to ask Allison for a ride tonight?” I probe unsubtly as we turn onto the main road that will lead us to the edge of town.

Scott rubs a hand over his face and groans “No, we…fuck. Its been so weird between us after summer. Like she spent a lot of time with Isaac. But they aren’t together. And the since school started, we’ve been hanging out again, but aren’t together either. It’s weird. And I don’t know, man. Maybe we really do need to end it properly this time so we can both move on. Ya’know?”

Well. That surprises me.

Scott and Allison, despite their multiple break-ups, have always been fairly…intense… about each other. They like to push and pull at each other’s orbits with the emotion of a pair of star-crossed lovers. Or as my Dad likes to refer to it ‘create their own ridiculous teenage drama’.

The tidbit of information about Isaac, however, doesn’t surprise me at all.

Scott looks down at his phone “Gotta turn left at the end of this road.” He says. He makes a face like he’s thinking of something. “I wonder how tonight is gonna be. Cal is really… unique, isn’t he?” He finally says.

“Uh yeah.” I awkwardly offer. I didn’t want to discuss Cal with Scott. I wasn’t sure what it was that was holding me back. Whether it was the fact that I didn’t understand how I could be feeling so intensely for someone I just met, or that I didn’t want to hear Scott speak about how **he** felt about Cal.

“Turn here!” Scott says suddenly “This is it!”

There’s a long dirt path. We can see the lights of a large house in the distance, but where we are is just fields.

“Wow, they must own a lot of land coz this really feels like the middle of nowhere.” I comment.

We see other cars parked by a tree and a bonfire next to a pond with a group of people sitting and standing around. Its too far to tell who they are yet. From the cars I can recognize it’s a mixture of a lot of different people from school. I blow a relieved sigh as I see Robbie’s car too.

We make our way over to the group and Cal turns to smile at us.

I have a sudden urge to throw myself at him, bury my face in his neck and feel his arms wrap around me. I blink and the urge dissipates.

“Stiles. Scott. Thanks for coming.” He greets us. “Help yourself to any food or drink.” He waves a hand at the keg and coolers off to the side.

Scott moves to Cals side and wraps an arm around his shoulders.

“Dude, thanks for organizing all this. Let’s go tap this keg.” He grins at Cal as he leads him towards the drinks.

I try to ignore the curl of jealousy I feel in my gut as I watch them move away, still close together, talking quietly.

For the next few hours, the thirty or so people that showed up sit around the fire drinking and talking. I stick close to Robbie and chat a bit with Lydia and Erica Reyes. It’s a surprise to see Erica here. She is a bit of a loner and rocks a grunge-punk vibe. She is friendly with Boyd, so maybe that explains her presence.

As it drifts closer to midnight people start to pack things up and leave in groups until there are only a small number remaining.

“I really appreciate you all being here tonight” Cal says as he moves to sit next to Scott and Isaac, opposite to where Robbie and I are perched around the fire “Since my Mom already knows people in the area I thought I would end up celebrating Mabon by myself. It’s really nice that it didn’t turn out to be true.”

Scott smiles at Cal and lifts an eyebrow “What’s Mabon?” he asks.

Nonchalantly Cal replies “Mabon is a Wiccan sabbath celebrating the autumnal equinox. It’s an important day to observe for people who practice Wicca.”

It was so quiet for a moment I swear you could hear the leaves as they drifted off the tree branches.

“What?” Isaac finally questions.

“Well, I practice a form of Wicca. I have my whole life. On Mabon a coven usually forms a circle and gives thanks for the harvest. The rites of Mabon lead to the excitement of Samhain, the witches’ New Year, or as most know it, Halloween.” Cal drops all this information on us with his usual calm and collected demeanor. There is no hint of self-consciousness or hesitation. He looks loose and relaxed in the firelight as he stretches out.

“So, you are a witch, that what, worships the devil?” Erica asks flatly. Skepticism obvious on her face.

Cal lets out an easy laugh “Yes I am a witch, but no, there is no devil in Wicca. It’s a peaceful and inclusive religion that focuses on the appreciation and celebration of nature and the yearly cycles. I was hoping a few of you would join me in making a circle tonight. It wouldn’t mean you were joining Wicca or going against your own religion. I was only hoping some of my friends would think it was cool and help me celebrate.”

I share a glance with Robbie. He looks as surprised as I feel. I look over the bonfire to Scott who raises his eyebrows at me and then wriggles them.

“What would we do in this circle?” I hadn’t even realized I was going to ask the question until the words had already escaped.

Cal looks at me with a soft smile. The fire reflected in his blue eyes.

“We stand and join hands. Give thanks to the harvest and walk in a circle. We could do a banishment chant to ask the God and Goddess of the Harvest to support us as we ready ourselves for the new year.”

“What the fuck?” Matt Adler comments as he sips on his beer.

“Look, its not a big deal, since its getting late you are welcome to stay for the circle or you are welcome to leave. I appreciate you coming to hang out either way.” Cal says and stands.

Matt Adler stands too “Nah man, not interested in this shit.” He says and looks at his girlfriend Jenna Ruiz. She stands too.

“Yeah, we will be going. Thanks Cal.” She waves at Cal and then takes Matt hand. They turn and walk towards the remaining cars. A few other people following them, some looking wary, some tired and some like the couldn’t care either way. Ethan Sharp looks stoned out of his head.

“Well losers, I’m staying!” Erica announces and throws Cal a sharp grin.

Cal grins back “Thanks Erica.”

I look at Robbie who shrugs and nods. A wave of relief washes over me. I feel this pull to stay, but it may just be my desire to stay in Cals proximity.

The rest of the remaining group get to their feet. Scott and Isaac have both stayed. Allison, Lydia and Jackson too. Boyd stayed, but that’s not so surprising after Erica’s announcement. There are ten of us including Robbie and me.

Cal surveys our group and his face lights up in a grin.

“Awesome. Let’s get started.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Edited the synopsis because I hated the original one I put.  
> Any feedback or constructive criticism is welcome... as I said this is my first fanfic.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable and no way profit from this.

I find myself standing on the left side of Cal as we all orientate ourselves in a circle around the fire.

Cal had just finished spreading salt along the circle line with a flit of his wrist, which had caused me to send Scott a look of cynical confusion, Scott had turned away so he wouldn’t start laughing.

“I purify this circle” Cal states and then throws his hands to either side “lets join hands.”

Shit. It would be the first time I had held the hand of a boy I was seriously attracted to. I surreptitiously wipe my hand on my pants before taking Cal’s hand and hoping my palm wasn’t weirdly moist.

On Cals right side was Erica. On the other side of me was Robbie.

Cal looks to the sky as he begins to speak.

“With this circle we give thanks to the Goddess and the God of the harvest. We recognize this time of perfect balance. Day and night are in equilibrium. Light and dark are in balance. With the change of the season, dark will prevail over light, so will we prevail over the obstacles that have held us back in our ambitions this year.”

Cal takes a deep breath and brings his hands up in a right angle with elbows bent and hands head height. Everyone in the circle follows his lead. Our hands are still connected, and I become momentarily distracted by the feeling of his strong grip in mine. It feels right to be close to him.

Cal looks around the circle “Ok, now we all say, ‘Blessed be’”.

“Blessed be” we all obediently repeat.

“Now, we close our eyes and take a minute to breathe and reflect on the things in life we are thankful for and the barriers that are in the way of achieving the goals we wish to achieve.”

I close my eyes and breathe through my nose. I feel the breeze touching my skin and the sound of frogs and night birds all around us. I feel a sense of peace settle somewhere deep inside me.

I think of all the things I am thankful for. My father. Robbie and Scott. My health. My intellect. The opportunities I have been given in my academic career.

I think of the barriers that have been keeping me from achieving my goals. My fear. My insecurity. The way I have been hiding and pushing people away. Because I am scared that if they saw the real me, they **still** wouldn’t want to be around me. Because I am scared that the more people I have in my life, the higher the chance is I will lose them. Like I lost my mother.

Cal starts to speak again; I open my eyes to see Scott staring at Cal with a look of undisguised longing on his face. I frown slightly at that. The look turns to pure joy as Cal gives the next instructions.

“We will begin to walk in Widdershins – counterclockwise.” Cal explains “As we walk, we will state something we wish to banish. Erica, you can start.” He sends a small smile to Erica as we begin walking.

“I banish hatred!” Erica says with a grin.

Boyd beside her states “I banish grief.”

There is a look in his eye, and it makes me remember that he lives with his grandmother because his sister and parents died in a car accident.

“I banish powerlessness!” Isaac cries out with a giddy laugh.

We are pushing and pulling each other as we run in the circle. Like little kids playing ‘ring-around-the-rosie’.

The energy is high.

I am light-headed and light-hearted.

I am filled with power.

I feel the balance of the earth

I feel as though I am caught in the ocean during a storm surge. Being tossed and battered at the will of the waves.

The power astounds me.

The will is mine.

Allison shouts her contribution “I banish fear.”

“I banish jealousy.” Scott says

Jackson is next. He has a look on his face that is hard to describe. Anger? Grief?

“I banish liars.”

Lydia calls “I banish bias perceptions.” The red-haired girl looks like a wild goddess as we continue to move.

Robbie says, “I banish blindness.”

That causes a wave of sadness to wash over me.

Then it is my turn. With power thrumming through me and the movement of the earth as we spin, I struggle to put into words all my fear and insecurity and loss.

The words escape my mouth before I even know what I am about to say.

“I banish limitations!”

With that I throw my hands up to the sky before falling to my hands and knees. My right hand comes up to cover my heart and my left arm shakes as it holds my weight.

I feel dizzy and nauseous. I want to cry and laugh at the same time. I want to run as much as I want to curl up into a ball. I feel a vague sense of embarrassment as I realize everyone is staring at me.

I make eye-contact with Scott and he starts to move towards me. Cal blocks his path and kneels on the ground with me.

“I’m fine.” I insist, but my voice breaks slightly.

I feel like I am blinking too much. There is an odd sensation of being unable to orientate myself in time and its starting to overwhelming me. I unthinkingly make a noise of desperation towards Cal and immediately feel like an idiot. Cal just smiles softly and takes my hand in his. He pulls me closer to him and we end up with our foreheads resting against each other. I feel instantly better. Like I have been grounded. I close my eyes and relish the sense of calm.

Cal’s whisper carries on the night air.

“I banish loneliness.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction – I own nothing recognizable and am not writing for a profit. 
> 
> I am not going to warn every time since I did tag this explicit - but there is a bit of self-love smut in this chapter.

_ God and Goddess. I think I found them. He is not who I was expecting at all. But the glimpse of incredible power I felt last night..it lit me from the inside. I think this is who I have been searching for. I just need a bit more patience. I need to get closer to him. _ – From the grimoire of Cal Blaire

I wake the next morning to a pounding that I am pretty sure is in my head but turns out to be my Dad knocking on my door.

“Up Stiles! Sunday morning breakfast!” he yells.

I groan and stretch, sitting up and cracking my neck.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m awake. I’m awake.” I yell back.

I would love to sleep for another 4 or 5 hours, except Sunday breakfast is an important thing for Dad and me. 

After my Mom’s death Dad fell hard into the bottle to deal with his grief. She was the love of his life, she used to call him the other half of her soul. As I get older, I fully empathize why you would want to drown yourself when your soul is ripped in half. However, at 9 years old I was simply confused and sad over losing both my parents in such a short space of time. Dad never truly neglected me, I was still fed and clothed. He just emotionally shut off and in his grief he forgot that, although he lost a wife, I had lost a mother. 

Anyway, it all came to a head when one Sunday about a month after Mom’s accident I’d found him on the couch with a ¾ empty bottle of whiskey and I couldn’t wake him. In my 9-year-old wisdom I thought maybe if I cooked him breakfast he would be happy when he finally woke. I’d tried to make pancakes even though I wasn’t really meant to use the stove by myself. The leg of the stool I was standing on broke and I fell onto the stove, I burnt the shit out of hand and forearm, but luckily hadn’t landed on my face. My screaming and crying finally roused my Dad and he asked a neighbor to drive us to the hospital, since I’m fairly sure he was still over the legal limit. 

Dad has worked hard at never touching alcohol since then. But every Sunday he makes us breakfast. And every time he does it’s his unspoken promise to me that he will never leave me alone like that again. That he loves me, and he is here. That he will _always_ be here when I need him. 

I quickly throw on a pair of black sweats and a grey crew neck and skip down the stairs to the kitchen.

“Ahhhh coffee is life.” I moan as I see a cup waiting for me on the breakfast bar.

“You’re welcome.” Dad says wryly as he sets a plate in front of me before sliding on to the stool next to me. We dig into the pancakes, bacon and fresh fruit. The silence between us comfortable.

I pause in the act of shoving food in my mouth and say to him “Its fine you have to go into work. I know they need you since the accident was so bad. And say hi to Tara for me!”

Dad looks at me with a frown, opening his mouth to ask what the hell I am talking about, when his phone rings.

“It’s work.” He says after looking at caller ID and steps out of the kitchen.

I lay my head on the cool granite and close my eyes. I really want some more sleep.

I hear Dad step back into the room and lift my head again.

“That was Tara. I've got to go in. There’s been a three-car collision.” He sounds apologetic. “How on earth did you know?”

I freeze. Because I have no idea how I knew. It was just… in my brain. After last night I have been feeling like I’m buzzing with electricity and the information came from there. I can’t tell my Dad that though. He hates anything occult or mystical. Especially since my Mom passed. So much so that he only begrudgingly allows me to buy Halloween candy for the neighborhood kids, so we aren’t _that house;_ but we definitely don’t decorate anymore. If he found out about my foray into Wicca, he would never let me see Cal again. And that is a thought I can’t stomach.

So, I lie.

“Uhhh… I heard something on the police scanner?” I say with a grimace. Knowing the last time he caught me with the scanner, it ended in a fight.

“Stiles.” Ooo yeah there is that exasperated tone. “We agreed you would only use that when I am on shift and you are worrying. Not to be snooping on all of Beacon County.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just forgot I had it on is all. I promise I will only use it as per our agreement.” I say with a smart-ass grin.

He sighs and kisses me on the head.

“Be good kid.”

He leaves and I have the house to myself.

I haven’t really had a moment to think about what happened last night. After my dramatic reaction to the circle and Cal kneeling with me, Scott had pulled me off the ground and steadied me til we got to the car. I had let him drive and I’d spent most of the car ride with my eyes closed and my head against the cool window, so Scott and I hadn’t talked.

The lightning that had been running through me last night was unexplainable. The energy was overwhelming, and I’d had no idea how to deal with it. Until Cal had kneeled with me, I thought that I was going to pass out. Or explode.

Cal.

Fuck. The image of his forehead against mine and our fingers interlaced pushes into my head. Last night I had watched as he had moved in the firelight, talking and laughing with everyone. The way his lips curved in a smile and how they had looked wrapped around the head of a beer bottle.

My cock starts to harden, and I press the heel of my hand against it through my sweats. I quickly put the dishes away and run up the stairs two at a time. 

When I get to my room, I strip my clothes off and jump on my bed, bouncing a little. I think about putting on some porn but decide that my imagination is going to be enough considering how badly my dick aches.

I close my eyes and wrap my hand around my cock. I squeeze to alleviate some of the pressure, and I moan a little. I have the image of Cal’s hands in my head. How they felt strong and steady. I think about how they would feel if they were running over my body. I don’t like the idea of jerking-off to someone that in reality I have no intimate relationship with, but the picture of us on our knees together won’t leave my mind.

Pre-cum is leaking on my belly and the dry rub of my hand up and down the flesh of my dick is becoming too much. I reach over to my bed-side draw and find my lube. I drizzle it over my cock and then onto my free hand too. I bend my leg to help me out with the angle a bit more and let one finger trace around my hole before entering it. Between the slide of my hand on my cock and something filling me, I’m not going to last long, but it’s not quite enough and one finger becomes two. 

I think of warm hands and soft lips. Two more strokes of my hand and I arch up as I cum, pulsing warm and thick. The aftershocks send shivers through me and I sink back onto the bed. I take a few moments to luxuriate in the afterglow of the orgasm before forcing myself to shower and change the sheets. Finally, after that is all done, I crawl back into bed for a much needed nap.

“Sooo… where exactly do you want us to go?” I ask Scott as we climb into my jeep.

I’d got a text from him after I woke from my nap asking to come shopping and we were on our way now.

“Bookstore.” Scott replies.

I turn to him with a look of exaggerated shock on my face.

“Scott McCall wants to go to a bookstore?! The world is ending.”

He shoves at my shoulder and I laugh.

“Fuck you very much. It’s an occult bookstore. Cal told me about it when I was texting with him this morning.” He says.

My stomach drops a bit at hearing that they were texting but decide not to dwell on it.

“Hmm, you think you wanna get into Wicca then?” I ask.

“Yeah man! It was crazy interesting, and I loved the energy of it. When I woke this morning, I felt so good. I love how passionate Cal is about the whole thing too.” Scott exclaims, bouncing in his seat with excess energy.

“Well, it was quite intense last night.” I cautiously offer in return to Scotts enthusiasm. 

“Oh yeah, you were kinda outta of it at the end there. You doing ok? Did you drink?” He asks.

I glance at him with a slight frown.

“No, you know I don’t drink. I just got a bit… overwhelmed, I guess. But I woke up fine.” I say a little flatly.

“Ok, I figured. I just wanted to check.” He replies.

I almost tell Scott about the weird issue with the phone call this morning, but for some reason the words stick in my throat.

We settle into a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive and pull over where the GPS directs us.

The shop ‘Bell, Book and Candle’ looks like a mid-priced gift shop from the outside. The name is on the window in gold lettering and the logo is a black cat sitting on a crescent moon.

“Wow, a little on the nose.” I remark and Scott gives me his signature look of confusion.

“Never mind.” I say with a shake of my head.

Scott shrugs and hops out of the car. I follow him as he pushes open the glass door and the bell chimes. 

I look down and see the pentagram drawn on the floor just inside the doorway. I take a deep breath, suddenly feeling like I am standing at a cross-roads and deciding which way to go. As I step over the pentagram and into the store, I think to myself: ‘I guess I am going on an adventure. Allons y.’


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really no excuses for the length between updates. I lost my motivation. And also my computer crapped out on me. But have a nice new one now!

Inside, the store is bright. There are high ceilings and sun streaming in from several skylights. The walls are painted a soft white and there are a few house plants and crystals hanging from the ceiling. From what I can see it is tidy and well-laid out. I was expecting the stereotypical dark, overcrowded occult bookstore. But this is… nice; welcoming; calm.

A woman’s voice comes from a back room “I’ll be with you in a moment. Feel free to look around.” A slight hesitation. “But don’t like, steal anything or I will have to hex you.”

That surprises a laugh out of me.

Scott is investigating some essential oils. The scent of rosemary, bergamot and cypress fills the air as he unscrews sample bottles to sniff at them.

I drift over to the bookshelves situated against a wall at the back of the store. They are organized in sections and clearly labelled. Some familiar; Astronomy, poetry, yoga. And some not so familiar; Magick, Tarot, Herb-lore, Runes…

I pick up a book labelled ‘Introduction to Magick’ and start reading the introductory pages. It talks about intent, the rule of three, covens. _Blood witches_. I absorb that quickly and read the passage carefully. It outlines the idea that some people have innate magick flowing through them. A closer connection to the nature and the Gods and Goddess. That once there were seven Great Clans of practicing magick and most innate magick uses can find an ancestor that was in one of these clans.

 ** _‘Cal’_** I think. I wonder if I can ask him about it or if that is rude.

I jump when a voice asks me “You find something interesting?”

I spin around to see a woman with shoulder length brown hair, golden skin and strong eyebrow game standing behind me, she looks to be in her late teens or early twenties. 

“Sorry.” She says “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Cora. I work here.”

I offer her a shy smile.

“Uh..No worries. I guess I was a bit more absorbed in the book than I realized.” I awkwardly chuckle. “I’m Stiles. My friend Scott is around here somewhere too.” I wave my hand around the shop but I can’t see Scott near-by.

Cora is staring at me so intensely that it is making me agitated with nerves. It’s like she’s trying to look into me, or around me or something. The word that comes to mind is ‘aura’.

She shakes herself as if coming out of trance and offers the hint of a smile.

“I often get lost reading too. Nice to meet you. I think I saw your friend looking at the crystals.” She glances at the title of the book.

“Oh yeah, that a good one. But how long have you been practicing? There are a few more advanced ones if you want.”

She walks closer to the bookshelf and goes to pull another book out.

I turn a little red. “Well, actually I don’t practice. My friend and I only went to a little get together last night. And then he got interested so I wanted to come along with him since it all seemed really cool. I ended up getting a little dizzy after the circle, you know? But also kind of energized? So I wanted to see if I could find anything that talks about all of it.”

When I look up from my babbling I can see Cora looks a little shocked.

“You’ve never…? But you glow!” She says exasperatedly.

“Huh?” I say.

She takes a deep breath and says “I usually don’t tell people I just met. But I have an innate gift. It something witches can do with a spell, sometimes. But I do it naturally. I can see magick. The best way to explain it would be to say see the glowing impression of magick. And you fucking glow with it.”

I must look pale and a bit disbelieving because she sighs in exasperation before grabbing my wrist and pulling me behind her. Not something I usually let people who I just met do to me, but damn this girl is strong. She leads me over to a shelf that holds an assortment of candles. I do a double take at the large candle shaped like a fairly anatomically correct penis. Thankfully Cora picks up a normal white pillar candle to hold up to my face.

“Light it.” She abruptly demands.

“Umm, I don’t have a lighter.” I reply.

She rolls her eyes, and wow I’ve never had anyone’s eyebrows call me an idiot before.

“No you asshole. Light it with your magick.”

“What the fuck?!” I say way too loud. “How?!? I don’t have any fucking magick!”

I am starting to get frustrated and annoyed. Between all the weird shit that went down last night and now this.

I hate not knowing and understanding things.

Cora stares at me a long moment and then hands me the candle.

“Just close your eyes. Feel the heat of a small flame. And imagine the candle being lit.”

I stare back at her with a suspicious look on my face before I sigh loudly, exaggeratedly roll my eyes and then close them.

In my head I think ‘ _Small flame. Light the candle. Small flame. Little light.’_ I imagine what the candle would look like lit.

Just like last night I feel a bit dizzy and a bit of energy rushing through me.

Cora quietly says “Stiles, open your eyes.”

I open my eyes to see the white pillar candle lit. I can only imagine what my face looks like right now. I feel sick. And a little faint.

“Stiles. Look.” Cora directs my attention to the shelf next to us.

Every single candle is lit.


End file.
